Cats in the Cradle
by NancyHFord
Summary: A little something I thought of for Father's Day. Multiple chapters are being written as of right now.


Burn Notice

Cats in the Cradle

A new fanfic by Nancy Howard Ford

**AU: As always, I don't own a thing. I love feedback so please feel free. Thanks!**

Part 1: The Discovery

_What is that noise_? Michael wondered. He lay there thinking that it sounded like a cat crying. It stopped for a moment and he was dozing off to sleep when it started again. He grabbed his gun from under his pillow and went to the front door.

"What…is…that…noise?" He shouted, enunciating every word with a footstep. Swinging the door open he spotted the package at his feet.

Of course, his first instinct was that it was a bomb but the crying started again. _It's not a cat crying…it's a baby crying_. "What the hell?" He peeked inside the blanket. While his training prepared him for just about everything, it didn't cover this. Michael stepped out on the front porch and looked around. He didn't see anyone nor did anything look out of place. He bent down and picked up the package. "It's got a handle and everything," he mused.

Michael brought it in and placed it on the kitchen counter. That counter had seen everything from C-4 to a variety of weapons and now…a baby. He pulled the blanket away and there he was. Michael estimated about a year old but since this wasn't his area of expertise, he was guessing.

He put his gun back in its hiding place and decided to see if there was a note or something. He opened the bag that he found with the baby and started searching. He pulled a few diapers out. "He comes equipped. That's nice to know." Next were two bottles. "Ready made dinner. Nice." They're still cold. Interesting. Then he spotted it; the note. "Now we'll get to the bottom of things," Michael said. The baby cooed and Michael smiled.

_Michael…I know you're a good man so I know that you'll take care of my son, Joey_. "Hi, Joey," Michael said to the baby._ He's 13 months old and such a good baby. I need to get some things straightened out and can't take care of him right now. I've seen you in the neighborhood a few times and you helped me out one night at the grocery store when I didn't have enough money for the groceries. That's why I've brought Joey to you. Please take care of him while I get things taken care of. Bless you. Josetta. _

Michael looked up from the note and stared at Joey who was dozing off to sleep. He looked at the clock as it glared 3:10 am. "Well, no one is going anywhere right now except back to bed." He reasoned that if he were little, he wouldn't want to be strapped to some chair and given his recent experiences with Carla, he knew he didn't like that. "Okay, little man…lets get you somewhere a bit more comfortable." He looked around for something to put him in or on. "Okay, that'll work," he mumbled while pulling out the bottom drawer of the dresser. He lined the dresser with a blanket and took Joey out of the baby carrier. "You're a bit soggy, Joe. Let's get a new diaper." He laid him on the bed and grabbed a diaper. He held it up, turned it around and then turned it around again. "The tabs go up I think." After a couple of false starts, Michael finally got the new diaper on him. "I did it," he said, surprised at himself. "I may be a spy but I can still change a diaper," he said. The diaper, of course, fell off as soon as he held Joey up. "Okay, maybe I need help."

Fiona Glennanne couldn't believe what she was seeing. _Surely that isn't a baby Michael is holding…or is it? _She'd seen Michael do a lot of things in the years she'd known him but this was indeed a first. She closed the door as quietly as she could and noticed that Michael didn't budge. She touched his arm and his eyes popped open.

"Hey," he choked out, trying to sit up straighter in the chair. "What are you doing?"

"Well, right now…I'm wondering what _you_ are doing," she responded glancing from Michael to the baby and back.

"His mom," he started. "She, uh, she left him on the steps. There's a note," he let his words trail off.

"Left him on the steps?" she repeated, arms crossed. "Who would do that?"

He stood up with the baby in his arms, "His mom wants me to take care of him, Fi. What was I supposed to do?"

"Okay," she said, reaching for the baby. "So does he come with instructions?" She took the baby from Michael and held him straight out and away from her body.

Michael looked exasperated, "No, Fi. I haven't but I do know that he doesn't like lying down," Michael answered.

"Well, let's try to…" she tried to lay him down but he started crying."

"Told ya."

"Michael, it's crying."

"Yes, I know. I said that he doesn't like that."

"Make it stop," she said louder trying to make herself heard.

The front door opened and in walked Sam. "What is going on, Mike?"

"There's this woman and she had some problems and..."

"Hey, little guy. How ya doin'?" Sam cooed while Michael and Fiona shared a look.

How'd you do that?" he asked Sam when he realized that the baby had stopped crying.


End file.
